


A Different Kind of Family (Oneshots)

by loisselina (LoisSelina)



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, And are happy and equally in love with each other, Blue's still a shady bitch in this, Charming Family Feels, Daddy Charming, Emma was a surprise baby, Emma's the youngest child, F/F, F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Grandma Regina Mills, Henry's an uncle to the Red Snowing kids, James is still alive in this verse, Kid Emma, Mama Ruby, Multi, Original David/ Ruby kid, Polyamory, Polyamory family, Prompts Welcome, Red Charmings, Red Snowing - Freeform, Red Snowing Family, Red Snowing are amazing parents, Red Snowing were parents young to their two sons, Toddler Emma, charming family - Freeform, mama Snow, no magic, once upon a polyamory verse, oneshots, polyamory accepted universe, premature baby, the charmings - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-22
Updated: 2017-09-03
Packaged: 2018-12-18 12:06:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11874024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoisSelina/pseuds/loisselina
Summary: No magic AU - Ruby, David, and Snow are happily married, they have two teenage sons, Neal and Tyler, Emma came along as a surprise when the boys are already teenagers. Family fluff one shots centred around the Red Snowing family.





	1. Emma - Whole or universal

**Author's Note:**

> Justanoutlaw requested: Red Snowing family No magic AU (your world where Emma is the youngest). Neal and Ty meeting their baby sister for the first time.

 

No one had been expecting Snow to fall pregnant for the second time, the first time had been when she was only twenty, and that was fifteen years before. Yes she had become a mother again, when Ruby had given the trio their second baby boy two short years later, and they weren’t necessarily trying or not trying (que sera, sera, as the song always said) for any more but they seemed to be stuck at two. They were all happy. David was the sheriff of their town, Snow an elementary school teacher, and Ruby ran her grandmother’s diner, they never wanted for money, all three of them had inherited a fair sum of money when each of their parents had died. The family often traveled around the country, going to different cities, sometimes they even went to different countries. The boys had their hobbies, Neal was academic, loved books, and couldn’t wait to go to college, while Tyler was athletic, he was normally covered in mud from playing one sport or another, he was particularly talented at soccer and had captured interest from scouts already.  
  
But after thirteen years of only having two kids when Snow suddenly started to feel sick in the mornings and tired easily, pregnancy was the last thing on her mind. It was only after Neal and Tyler had mentioned it to their Grandma (Snow’s step-mother) and she pointed out that she was only getting sick in the morning time, that Snow took a pregnancy test.  
  
Then another.  
  
Then _yet another._  
  
All told her the same thing.  
She told her spouses, who like her were over the moon, but also a little in shock.  
Their baby was due to be born on the 23rd of December, ‘coincidentally’, or so they claimed, nine months after their wedding anniversary. 

* * *

They told the boys after the twelve week scan, before they let anyone else know. As the boys were older it was a little different, it wasn’t as though they had to explain that they would still be loved or where babies came from- in fact the teenaged boys would much have preferred it if they hadn’t known where babies had come from when their parents were expecting another one. Other than the scarring mental image the boys were overjoyed. 

Neal threw him into researching all about babies ,and started to buy baby books ready for the new addition to the family to kickstart their library, in the hopes that at least one of his younger siblings would like books as much as he did.

Tyler decided to grow the baby’s toy collection, and helped his parents decide on how to decorate the baby’s room. Technically he would be the baby’s biological half sibling, but he knew very well that that blood wasn’t what made a family, and like he and Neal, the baby would have all three of their very loving parents on their birth certificates and in their lives. 

The two boys insisted it would be a girl, while both Ruby and David were insisting they’d be welcoming another boy into their family.

“How about Taylor?”

“Works for a boy or girl.”

“Yeah, but we’ll get mixed up between Ty and Tay.”

“Emma?”

“What’s it mean Nee?”

“Erm….” He read the sentence below the name in the book. “Whole or universal.”

“That’s sweet.”

“As nice as it is to have you boys agreeing with each other… I don’t know how happy he’ll be to have a girl’s name….”

Snow stayed quiet whenever they debated this - she claimed that she knew fully well which side was correct, but that it didn’t matter, so long as the baby was healthy.

They all agreed with her.

* * *

On the day marking two months until the baby was due, Snow had the day off from work, she saw her family off to work and school - she was looking forward to a nice day relaxing. 

She started to feel a little weird. Her back ached, but she brushed it off, she was pregnant after all. She would just have to take it easy, she decided. But as an hour passed she started to have cramps which felt suspiciously familiar. She just hoped that it was a one time thing. 

But then her water broke. 

She could no longer deny what was happening.

She was only 34 weeks. 

It was too early.

She took a couple of shaky breaths, she picked up her phone and managed to stop her hand from shaking for long enough that she could dial David’s work number, his work was closer to their home than Ruby’s was.  
As the line rang she stroked her protruding tummy. “Hang in there baby. Please. You just stay in there for a little longer, I know you want to see mommy, and daddy, and mama but it’s not time for you to go on adventures just yet.”

The line clicked as David picked up the phone. “Hey, babe, missing me already?”

Snow could almost hear that famous charming smirk on his face. “David?” Her voice was shaky. “I need you to come pick me up. We can pick up Rubes on the way, but I, I’m… I need my bag, it’s upstairs, but I still haven’t got some of the things I need, I was going to wait and get them closer to the time-”

David could hear his wife panicking and became alert. “Snow. Take a breath for me. What’s going on?” He nodded to his co-sheriff and signalled that he was leaving. 

Snow’s voice broke. “David, the baby’s coming… It’s too soon.”

* * *

“A thirty four week old baby is around the size of a cantaloup.” Neal remembered as he sat beside his brother in the back of their grandma’s car. He played with the straps of his swim bag, his one sport, he had been planning on going swimming that afternoon after school before he picked up his brother from soccer practice. That was far from his mind now.  
  
After David, Snow, and Ruby, had gotten to the hospital and found out what was happening and going to happen they had called Regina. There was no way any of the parents would be back that night, even though Neal had his own car and usually gave Ty lifts to and from practice, the boys needed to know, and Ruby, David, and Snow needed to know that they were safe without worrying about them.

“Is that… that’s really small, right?” Tyler frowned, he didn’t even care about practice he was missing, his foot tapped restlessly as Regina drove. His eyes, full of fear, flickered to his brother. The boys would argue every now and then, they were brothers and teenagers after all, but Tyler still looked up to Neal and looked to him for answers.

Neal opened his mouth then closed it again. He knew full well that Snow had only just reached thirty-four weeks. He gave his brother a brave and sympathetic smile. “She can start to regulate her body temperature by herself… her lungs might be a little smaller than idea and need to develop a bit… but she’s in the best hands.” He assured him. ”And she had mom, and dad, and mama - they would never let anything happen to her.”

Silence fell in the car again as Regina wove her way to the Charmings’ house to grab the boys stuff ready to stay at hers. “You know, Tyler, you were one of the chubbiest little babies I ever saw, and you had a headful of black hair as soon as you were born, just like your brother.”

“Sadly you didn’t take after me in my amazing good looks, Ty.” Neal winked.

“At least he was born on time Neal.” Regina pointed out. “I think I had your parents ringing me every five minutes because you decided to stay put for almost two weeks past you were due.”

“Well, what can I say? I like to make a good appearance.”

Regina looked at her eldest grandson through the mirror, she could tell he was trying to keep his spirits up for his brother, but she could see the same boy who was scared of climbing the monkey bars when he was four.

There was nothing she could really do to help him feel better. She was scared for her new granddaughter, along with her step-daughter’s health, Neal had read every book on pregnancy and babies he could find… he must be terrified.

* * *

The boys weren’t allowed to visit the hospital for five days. David and Ruby took time with the boys, and Snow rang them every day, but they hadn’t been able to see the baby in more than pictures, and neither of them knew her name yet.

On the Friday when they got out of the school doors they saw their dad leaning against his SUV, grinning at them both. They rushed over, not having expected him there, they were meant to be picked up by Regina and taken to hers.

“Dad, what’s up, is the baby okay?”  Tyler worried.

“Is mom okay?” Neal demanded not waiting to let David answer. 

David chuckled, his sons were certainly like their mother, that much was certain. “They’re both fine… maybe you’d like to see that for yourselves?” 

Both Neal and Tyler’s eyes widened at the same time. 

“We get to go?”  
“We get to see them?”

“Yeah, I mean, if you guys want to? If not we could grab some pizza and play video games?”

“Hell no!” Neal protested as both he and Tyler jumped into the car. 

David chuckled before he climbed into the car. That little girl of his certainly had them all wrapped around her little finger, already, that was probably only going to increase.

* * *

The Charming boys reached the NICU and sanitised their hands before they were allowed in to see Ruby, Snow, and the baby. 

Snow beamed when she saw them. Although they spoke at least twice a day and she heard about them through David and Ruby, but she had missed her other babies.

Tyler rushed over to hug her but Neal’s eyes were on the tiny baby in the crib beside her. 

Ruby walked over to him and pulled him into a hug. “It’s okay, hon, she’s going to be okay. They think only a day or two and we can take her home.”

“She’s so small.” He whispered his eyes not leaving the little girl. 

“Yeah.” Ruby sighed. “But she’s a little fighter. I think she got your brains, she’s been wowing the nurses with how quickly she’s taken to feeding-”

“That might just be mom’s stubbornness.” He joked weakly.

Snow smiled over at her first born as she stroked her second’s curled hair. “If you sit down you can hold her.” She offered. “You won’t break her, I promise, I don’t think she’d put up with that.” She joked fondly, she had gotten to know her well in the past five days, she was much more a knight than a princess, she was going to fit in perfect in their family. 

“Er… Okay. Do I have to pick her up or …?”

“I’ll pass her to you bud.” David waited for Neal to sit down and Ruby to show him how to hold his arms so he’d properly support her neck. He carefully picked her up, the only machines connected to her now were ones monitoring her, he placed her into Neal’s waiting arms - Neal’s face went from nervous to ecstatic. 

Ruby managed to snap a couple of pictures of the pair before Tyler crouched beside Neal and the baby girl who was in an impossibly small baby grow and hat with different coloured owls on them. When he joined the pair Ruby took several more pictures of their three kids before she walked back over to sit on the arm of Snow’s chair. 

She wrapped her arm around David’s waist as he joined his wives. Ruby pressed a kiss to Snow’s waiting lips before David leant down and did the same to both of them.

“Hey there, you.” Tyler greeted. He gently stroked the back of his finger down her cheek. He beamed as she looked towards him with the sound of his voice. “I’m Tyler, I’m your big brother, and that’s our even bigger brother Neal. He can be annoying but he’s awesome to have on your side.”

The three parents watched their three kids for a little while. They were beyond happy, they were euphoric, and completely in love with each other and with their perfect babies.

Snow shared a look with Ruby and David about something they had decided upon a day before. She smiled when they nodded at her telling her that she could do the honours, she hadn’t been able to spend time with the boys for almost a week, or comfort them by being there like her spouses had.  
“You guys wanna know her name?” 

“Nah, I was just planning on calling her ‘Hey you’.” Tyler joked but looked at her with great interest. 

“Emma.” Snow smiled. “Emma Ruth Charming.”

Tyler grinned at the baby who still had a tight hold on his finger. “Hey there Emma, It’s nice to meet you, you did a good job in scaring mom, dad, and mama- I can teach you some more if you like.”

“Hey, Emma. Welcome to the family.”

* * *

Two months later the family all happily sat in their home watching Christmas movies. Emma was now the size of an average newborn, all of the family and their extended family were utterly besotted with her, she was a little small for her age but she was so alert and interested in the world, she listened as Neal read her stories and Tyler told her about his day. She loved being cuddled by all of her parents, but it was clear already that she was a daddy’s girl, David seemed to be the only one who could stop her crying.

The family were looking forwards to spending their first Christmas together, now that they were _whole_.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt request - Emma's first steps

 

Due to Emma being a preemie she was a little slower at reaching milestones. They had been reminded multiple times since she was born that her chronological age wasn’t how they should think of her for anything other than her birthday - her development would be two months slower than her age suggested she should be reaching. Even so they worried, she was small for her age and had a few health concerns, but they never once tried to push her to walk; they knew she’d walk when she was ready. 

She started to pull herself up to stand using the couch and pretty much anything she could, she used her toy walkers to race around the place, giggling hysterically whenever she crash into one of her family - which she tried to do as often as possible. Eventually,  at around the age of two, she would hold onto her parents and brothers’ hands to let them walk with her, she was clearly close to being able to do it herself, she seemed to be more interested in trying to run than walk. 

* * *

“Today’s the day, I can feel it.” Snow smiled one day setting down the juice and coffee down on the kitchen table. 

“It better be.” Tyler commented stroking their golden Labrador, Bailey, before grabbing a glass of orange juice. “Today’s the only weekend I’ve not got soccer practice and Cassie and Zac have both been dragged to the woods to ‘learn some survival skills’… they’re either gonna end up not talking to their dad or they’ll be dead.”

“More fool Fredrick.” David chuckled, plating up the pancakes for the rest of his family, making sure to give the right ones to the right people.

“Yeah, and I’m not stuck with studying for one weekend.”

“That’s cause you’ve already done enough to graduate, it’s time to just relax now and let all those college offers roll in, have a bit of fun before you heartlessly abandon us…” Ruby had a twinkle in her eye as she cut up Emma’s pancakes into bite-sized pieces. She placed them on Emma’s highchair 

Neal rolled his eyes but he knew his parents supported whichever school he wanted to go to, they often went on road trips to visit different colleges with him, they always made it into fun family vacations with things for both of his siblings to enjoy. “I was just thinking of reading a book, maybe playing some video games, Gid’s grounded so he’s not gonna be able to hang out.”

“Are you sure Nee wasn’t adopted?” Tyler joked.

“Ty!” Emma shouted over to her brother distracting he and Neal from their breakfast ribbing. “Look! Pant-cakes!” She showed him a piece of her chocolate chip pancakes, she and Tyler were the only ones to have that type.

Tyler gasped over exaggeratedly, as though she had shown him something amazing and shocking. “Wow! Oh my god, look Emmy!” He stabbed a piece of pancake from his own plate and showed it to her before putting it into his mouth. “I have some too.”

“Don’t talk with your mouthful.“ Snow ruffled his hair before sighing contently as she took a long sip of her coffee. “What do you think Emmy, you wanna try walking today?” She asked with excitement, digging into her own blueberry pancakes. 

“Mommy, look choccy pant-cakes.” Emma told her mom, making them laugh.

Snow tried not to look disappointed, she didn’t want to be pushy, but she knew Emma was ready to walk she was just waiting until she felt like it. Though of course a walking toddler would get into even more trouble, and Emma already had a proclivity for getting into trouble - they had left her in her playpen for four minutes and come back to find Emma out of the playpen with the dog now multicoloured from the child-safe chalk, which they all swore were up higher.

“You already got mama first from her,” Snow pouted at her wife from next to her, she leant close to her trying to look both pathetic and flirty, “and Neal walk to you first… you should help me get her to walk to me first.”

Ruby’s eyes twinkled. “And why would I do that?”

“I could make it worth your while.” Snow said quietly, but not quietly enough to not traumatise Neal and Tyler, who both groaned and protested that they had been put off their breakfast. 

“Hmm… Tempting… But no, you got Ty saying mommy first-”

“-Rubes-”

“- And he walked to you first. He barely let go of you for the first like year of his life.”

“Mommy’s boy.” Neal teased his brother as he finished up his breakfast and poured another coffee.

But the parents were oblivious to the boys’ squabble as they were drawn into their own small one, their competitive streaks coming into play over whom would get their youngest and last child to walk to them first. 

* * *

Later that evening the family were all gathered in the living room. Neal had a book open in his hand, his only movements were to change the position he was sat in, or to turn the page. Tyler had just finished catching up on some homework, with some help from Snow, and was now playing video games against Ruby. Snow was leaning against David on the huge couch, and had been since he finished bathing Emma a short while before, they were both drawn between watching Ruby and Tyler’s game and watching Emma play with her toys on the floor as she began winding down for bed.

Emma pulled herself to her feet, so that she was standing up perfectly balanced in the middle of the room staring at her family. 

Her family all took notice straight away. Neal lead his book down, facing downwards, so he wouldn’t lose his place then leant forward in his seat. Tyler threw the pause button and he and Ruby placed the controllers down. David and Snow both though to the same method, they scrambled for Emma’s favourite teddy bear she took everywhere with her from the coffee table, David was a fraction of a second quicker and won.

“Hey Koala,” David smiled at her and placed her teddy so it was sat upon his shoulder, “look what I have, Ted-Ted, you wanna walk to Daddy and get him back?”

Emma looked at him to Snow beside him. 

“Hey, Sweetie Pie, you want to come to Mommy?” She held out her arms towards Emma but like the others she stayed where she was sat, Emma needed to be the one who came to them, not the other way around.

Emma shook her head, she was still looking confused as to what to do, she looked to Ruby.

Ruby gave her her wicked and slightly wolfish smile. “Do you want to come to Mama, Pup?” She watched as Emma looked as though she was debating it before she inevitably shook her head again.

Neal bit his lip trying not to smile, he didn’t realise but Tyler was doing the same, at the idea that he could be the one Emma walked to before their parents who had been competing over it since Emma started sitting up. “You wanna hear a story, kiddo? I’ll tell you one of your favourite ones, Uncle Henry’s, from the special story book… all you gotta do is walk over to me.” 

“Come on, Emmy, you wanna annoy mama, mommy, and daddy?” Tyler smirked. “This will really annoy them, and I know you like trying to wind them up.” He tried to coax. Emma giggled but looked away yet again. 

After a couple more seconds Emma took her first unaided steps, having chosen her direction. Her family watched a little confused but in awe of Emma taking her first steps, toward whom they were not certain until Emma shouted. 

“Bailey!” The toddler threw her arms around the big, loveable Labrador, who had been just as protective over Emma since Snow was pregnant with her, as the rest of her family. She hugged the dog tight as he licked her face, careful not to get too excited in case Emma got hurt. She heard her family laugh at who Emma walked to first. Emma looked around at them in confusion. Until she spotted her teddy still perched on David’s shoulder.

“Daddy! My Ted-Ted!” She told him. She turned around where she stood, she tumbled over but quickly pulled herself back up. She took a couple of unsteady steps, before taking a couple more, soon she wasn’t focusing on her steps but upon the teddy David had. She started to stumble but she fell straight into David’s waiting arms.

David scooped her up and into the air, making her squeal with laughter, before he cuddled her close to his chest. “My clever little girl! You’re getting so, so, big my little Koala!” True to her nickname Emma held tightly onto him. He may not have been the first family member she had walked to, but he was the first _human_  member of the family she had walked to, which was enough in his book.

Snow leant forward with a beaming smile and kissed her daughter, before Ruby leant over her shoulder doing the same, they may not have gotten Emma to walk to them first but they were all overjoyed that she was doing so well, especially compared to the tiny 4lb baby born two months early. 

David leant forward and kissed Snow tenderly on the lips before doing the same thing to Ruby. It seemed silly to say, but they were relieved overtime that Emma reached an important step in life, each time she did it was like they were one step further out of danger. The boys must have felt the same way as for once they didn’t complain about their parents kissing. 

“Hey, I guess we’re all equal now,” David smiled, “we each got one kid walking to us first and saying our names first.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompts welcome here and on  
> Tumblr: loboselinaistrash (loboselinafanfiction)  
> or Twitter: loboselinaff 
> 
> Fanfiction account: loboselina


	3. In-laws

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red Snowing are throwing a dinner party for their in-laws as Henry is visiting the town to introduce to them a very important lady in his life... David's not so happy to have to his mother in law visiting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a prompt from Justanoutlaw on Tumblr (lobselinaistrash) for Red Snowing and some interaction with their in laws.
> 
>  
> 
> I’ve done it so it’s Regina and Robin visiting them for dinner at the behest of Henry, who’s wanting to have a meal with his step-sister (which is weird considering their grandmother/grandson relationship in canon) and her family, and introduce them to his fiancée. Regina, Robin, and Marian are all in a relationship but Marian isn't in the chapter, as she's a teacher who is on the field trip.  
> Henry- 23  
> Roland- 21  
> Robyn’s now Rowan - 19  
> They also adopted two kids they used to foster but neither will feature in this - Matthew and Kai who are both 17. 
> 
> Neal- 18  
> Tyler - 16  
> Emma- 2 (just.)

David sat on the side of the sandpit in the park as Emma played. A little while after Emma had been born he decided he wanted to be a stay at home dad, he and his wives had talked it over and found it worked out perfectly for them all especially as Emma seemed to be the clingiest to him, he had taken to it like a duck to water. 

As Emma had to have regular check ups at the hospital they knew full well that Emma hated the hospital visits, David figured that if he could at least wear the two year old out a little it wouldn't be quite as bad, at least that was what he was hoping but she was so much more stubborn than he could remember either of her brothers being so the hope wasn't exactly massive. 

“Tap the top of this bit, Koala.” He helped her pat the top of the bucket before he pulled it off and showed Emma the sandcastle underneath. “Wow! Look at that, your very own castle.” 

“Yay!” Emma cheered, before a mischievous look appeared on her face, she hit the castle knocking it down. “Uh oh.”

David chuckled and tickled her sides. “Uh oh indeed.” He spotted Ruby walking up to them ready to go to the hospital with them for Emma’s checkup. “Sickness bug?”

“And here I was thinking I looked nice today.” She sat down and Emma immediately started to climb onto her lap. “Hey, pup.”

“You look as beautiful as you do every day.” David wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into a deep kiss, the boys had long since decided that their parents being in love was the most embarrassing thing possible, but they still had a few more years before Emma started to complain. “No, just an idea, I mean no one wants to catch the sickness bug and Snow said that they’re meant to be visiting Peanut at college... Regina won't want to visit us if there’s a chance they’ll be too ill to go.”

“She’s nineteen, nearly twenty, I doubt _Rowan_ would appreciate you still calling her Peanut.” Ruby smirked. “Anyway, do you really think that Snow would let us?”

David sighed, he sent Emma a happy smile when she looked at him, but as soon as she looked away to play in the sand again he sent Ruby a pout. “It’s alright for you, Regina hates me, I swear she thinks I’m gonna break one of the kids somehow!”

Ruby sniggered. “In her defence, you did get her stepdaughter pregnant, before the age of twenty...” She distracted Emma from trying to taste the sand by moulding a fish. “Wow, look, a Dory fishy!”

“If I remember correctly, you were there for the baby making part too.” He smirked.

“Mama, Nemo, no Dory! ” 

“Oh my apologies, pup, _of course_ that’s Nemo!” She feigned a sincere apology before looking back at David. “Yeah, but Regina knows basic biology... and I don’t have the parts.”

“Well, I can certain attest to that.” David remarked with a flirty smirk. “Neal’s eighteen now, he’s technically an adult, when’s she gonna let it go?”

“...Maybe when Em’s forty.”

David gently pulled Emma into his arms, wiping the sand off of her overalls, he hugged her close. “Nope, you’re never going to grow up are you, Emmy? Just be my little girl forever, you won't be a traitor and grow up like Ty and Nee, will you?”

“Nee’s big, big, big.” Emma nodded her head in agreement though she didn't understand what he meant. They were still getting her to understand that Neal would be moving out the next year, to go to college, they knew it was really going to upset her. 

Ruby chuckled and kissed the top of Emma’s crazy blonde curls. “You’re very right, babe. How about daddy gets you into your stroller then we can walk to go get mommy?”

“Okay.” Emma smiled but then the smile faltered. “Go the doctor?”

“We do, pup,” she said, as David strapped the wiggling toddler into the stroller, “but it’s okay you know it’s easy, plus you get some stickers.”

“Stickers?”

“Stickers.” Ruby confirmed tucking Emma’s blanket around her before kissing her nose.

“Okay mama.” She started to play with a couple of the toys they still had attached to the stroller.

“Maybe I could give Regina a sticker every time she’s nice to me.”

Ruby linked arms with David as he started to push the stroller. “So, you’ll only need to borrow two of Emma’s stickers?”

“You’re curiously optimistic today.” David joked, as they walked towards Snow’s school, where they’d all drive to the hospital together. 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“One, two, three!” 

“That’s my very clever girl, Emma.” Snow praised as they walked down the hospital corridor after having seen the doctor.  
Emma had now stopped crying after being given her vaccinations, Emma decided to half skip-half run down the corridor, in the sight of her parents.  
“You do have three stickers. Sweetie, come hold my hand please or one of us will carry you, it’s going to be busier in a minute we don't want to lose you.”

“You could distract Snow, and I’ll find a red felt tip, we’ll claim Emma has the chickenpox.” David suggested quietly, coming up with another plan like they had been while they had been waiting for Emma’s appointment (Ruby out of bored and David out of a genuine need for a plan), but not quietly enough that his other wife didn't hear. 

“David.” Snow turned on him, with Emma in her arms, looking stern. “You are _not_ lying to Regina to get her not to come.”

“...Snow-”

“- _No_. I know you two don't always get along, especially when you have to spend several hours together when none of the kids are ill or there’s not a family event of some form, and I appreciate it, I do - I know she’s hard on you even if she doesn't really mean it. But we’ve not seen Henry for a while, and he’s only going to visit us less now that he’s settled down in Seattle, and next year Neal will be gone, he’ll be _hours_ away. How long until we all get to just meet up for a meal again?”

Emma looked up at them with apt attention. “Uncle Henry?”

David felt bad all of a sudden, he knew that family was important to all of them especially Snow, it was only when Neal was born that she and Regina had become close after almost a decade. “Yeah, kiddo, we’re gonna see uncle Henry, uncle Henry’s girlfriend, grandpa, _and grandma_.” He leant down and tenderly and lovingly kissed Snow. “I’m sorry, Snow.”

Snow placed her hand onto David’s chest. “It’s okay, you know she doesn't really hate you, right? She just... acts like she does...”

“ _Sure_...” David said dubiously before he laughed and took Emma from Snow’s arms. “You want to ride on my shoulders to the car?” He asked, he knew she wouldn't be quite as happy when the shots came into full effect, so he wanted her to be happy for as long as possible. 

“Daddy horsey.” Emma said holding onto his hair as David carefully kept hold of her on his shoulders. 

Ruby and Snow both laughed as David started to gallop down the corridor clearly not caring about what anyone would think of him. Ruby slipped her hand through Snow’s and pulled her into a kiss, before they resumed walking, Ruby swinging their joined hands. 

“What’re you thinking?” Snow asked knowing full well that her wife was starting to plan something in her mind.

“Wouldn’t you like to know.” Ruby smirked.

Snow rolled her eyes and pulled their hands up to her lips to kiss Ruby’s. “What’re you thinking?” She asked again.

“Well, I know that the kids love our trips away from the town, the further away the better, but maybe we should go somewhere new… and, well, we always wanted to go to England, maybe we could go to London for spring break.” It was a trip they had talked about since the three of them had gotten together as teenagers, then Snow had fallen pregnant, and there had just never seemed to be a right time.

Snow beamed and stopped in the doorway leading outside where David and Emma were, she gave Ruby another kiss, this time a lingering one.  
It was hard for all of them, getting used to the fact that Neal would be leaving them in under a year, it only became more apparent when Henry had chosen to settle on the other side of the country, he was only five years older than Neal.  
“Have I told you that I love you?”

“Not yet today.” Ruby couldn’t resist kissing her again, she could still taste some fruit tea Snow must have drank not too long before they had picked her up from the school, her lips were as soft as they had been when they had first fallen in love as mere teenagers. “But I’m sure you can make up for that.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“Neal!” David called through as he and his wives moved around the kitchen putting together the meal and desserts, Emma was balanced on his hip clinging onto him, the shots side effects starting - really it would have been better if either the shots or the meal had been a different day, but such was life. 

His eldest son appeared in the kitchen doorway. Freshly showered after his swim practice and changed into a turquoise shirt which brought out the brightest blue hues of his irises, he had already dried and styled his hair so that there were no hints of any of the curls which had been present in his wet hair, yet he continued to run his hand through his dark locks to make sure it was sitting right. ”What’s up, dad?”

“Can you quickly get your little sister changed while me and your moms sort out dinner? I know Ty’s in the shower so he can watch her while we all get changed.”

“Sure.” Neal shrugged. “Hey, Emmy, let’s go get you changed.” Neal went to take Emma but she squirmed away and held tighter to David. 

“No! Want daddy.”

David sighed and kissed her head. “Sweetie, I promise I’ll hold you again as soon as we’re all changed.” He felt her hold even tighter and just whine in response. “You can wear your Dino onesie, I’m sure Uncle Henry would love to see that, you can show him how you can roar really loudly.”

Snow caught sight of Emma’s face and knew she was close to crying or a tantrum, but that wasn't her fault, she walked over and kissed Emma’s forehead. She sent a look to Ruby who nodded and grabbed the baby medicine from the cupboard, she, too, kissed the top of Emma’s head as she passed it over. 

“Okay, baby, you can stay with daddy.” Snow soothed, measuring out the syringe of medicine for Emma, and getting it ready to give to her daughter. “You’re a little warm, sweetie, open up please, it’s the cherry one.”

Luckily Emma had decided not to refuse to take it and just opened her mouth. She still pulled a face at the medicine but didn't spit it out which was a plus. “Stay daddy?” Emma asked them quietly.

“Yes, you can stay with daddy,” Snow said without pause, “he’ll get you changed into your onesie, you’ll be comfiest in that.” She had planned for Emma  to wear something bit smarter than that but her toddler’s comfort came first. “Neal, can you help in here, please?” 

“Sure.” Neal shrugged as David carried Emma out of the room, he rolled up his sleeves and wandered over to the kitchen counters where delicious food had been made or was in the process of being made. “Erm, mom, mama? You guys realise that it’s only us, Grandma, Grandpa, Henry and Ella... right?” 

Ruby smirked, she had clearly already had this conversation, she looked amused as Snow gave her polished answer.

“It gives us variety, it’s kind of like a potluck/ banquet style,” Snow answered as she opened the oven to check on the lemon roasted chicken with its chorizo stuffing, “there’s meat and vegetarian options and starters, a couple of mains, and desserts.”

“Ah... so you’re planning on scaring her off by over feeding her?” He joked looking at the desserts, which David had made during Emma’s morning nap, he had to admit that they looked just as delicious as the whole house smelt.

Ruby snorted with laughter. “Yup.” she said at the same time that Snow said -

“You are _so_ like your father... and your mother.”

Neal just shot her a charming smile but didn't deny the allegations, nor did Ruby, they all knew that they three kids were three perfect mixes of the three parents. “What’d you need mom?” 

Snow looked at the mess of pots around the kitchen. “Erm... can you please put the desserts into the refrigerator, then take the carrots off the heat, drain them then add a knob of butter to them, thanks honey.”

Ruby took hold of Snow’s hands when she saw how frantic her wife was looking. 

“Rubes? What’s wrong? I need to -”

“Snow.” Ruby said firmly gaining her attention. “It’s all okay, she’s going to love us, it’s not how it used to be like when we were younger, and there’s no way Henry would end up with someone bigoted, and he especially wouldn't let her around the kids.”

Snow took a shaky breath and nodded her head. She knew she was being a little silly, but she remembered what it was like when polyamory was only just becoming accepted, she remembered the fear of having to come out as both bisexual and in a polyamorous relationship, and watching the loves of her life having to do the same.  
She watched David’s step-father decide it was enough to fully and completely disown him, influencing David’s twin in becoming estranged from him at the same time, David’s mother fully accepted them and was happy for David, but she had died shortly after their wedding. David and James had long since made up, now they were close, they both had to work at getting over how destructive George had been over their bond. David could have completely lost him.   
Granny hadn’t really minded, she could tell that they were in love, but when her mother had decided to suddenly make an appearance in Ruby’s life she had tried to force Ruby to choose between them - she had blamed Snow for Ruby’s choice, they hadn't seen her since either.  
Snow supposed it was good that Regina had accepted their relationship, not that they had really been close before then plus she kind of hated David for a while there, but she knew full well that her father would never have approved of any of it.   
“I know. I just...”

Ruby placed her hands on Snow’s cheeks, green eyes looking into green eyes, a shared past and struggles. “I know.” Snow’s hands came up to hold onto hers against her face. “It’s all been worth it though, right?”

Snow smiled full of love for her wife. There wasn't a single thing they’d change, they all had each other and their children, the price was worth it. “Of course.” She pulled Ruby down to quickly kiss her. 

“Eww.” 

Ruby and Snow broke apart as Tyler came skidding into the kitchen dressed in a similar outfit to Neal, just his shirt was a darker denim with a t-shirt underneath, and complained immediately. “Mama, I’m hungr-” He started to whine before he spotted the sheer amount of food in the kitchen. “You know that Matty and Kai are still on that geography trip with Nana... right? Are Rowan and Roland coming as well?”

Ruby watched Snow bite her lip, as she looked at the food, and Neal laugh as he sorted out the carrots. She tried not to smirk for her wife’s sake. “Well, you definitely won't still be hungry after a three course meal.” She simply pointed out to their younger son as David walked back in with Emma in his arms, the pair changed into clean clothes, Emma into a dinosaur onesie and David into a deep blue shirt and slacks. “But first you can come with me to pick up some wine.”

“Sure,” Ty quickly threw on his trademark leather jacket he was almost never seen without, “so long as I’m not having to help cook, at least that way I cant be blamed for anything going wrong.”

“Beer please.” David called as Ruby said bye to Snow, he leant down to peck her on the lips when she went over to him. 

“No class.” Ruby teased knowing that neither he or Robin drank wine if they could avoid it.

“This coming from someone who likes a drink which tastes like vinegar.” He winked. 

Ruby just rolled her eyes and gave Emma a kiss goodbye. “I’ll be back soon baby.” She promised before calling over to their first born. “Bye Nee.”

“See ya mama.” Neal called back over, as he leant against the counter, now texting his friends.

David wrapped his spare arm around Snow, who leant against him, Emma rested her face against her mom’s. 

“I went a little overboard.” Snow admitted quietly. 

“So we’ll just have some leftovers,” David shrugged his shoulders showing that it wasn't a big deal, “we’ll go on a picnic with the kids with some of it, though the boys will probably have eaten it by tomorrow morning.” 

Snow smiled at David’s talent of making her feel at ease. She gently moved Emma’s head away from her and onto David’s shoulder, so she could kiss her husband. “I love you.”

David’s mouth smiled against hers. “I love you more.” 

“Love you mommy.” 

Snow giggled at Emma feeling the need to join in. “And I love you, my brave, brave, baby.” Snow nuzzled her nose against hers. “Mommy’s going to go put on a pretty dress-”

“Red.”

Snow smiled Emma didn't know the names of too many colours so it was a fairly high chance out of all the colours Emma could have chosen it would have been that one. “Okay, I’ll wear a red one. Do you want to come with me or are you going to help daddy and Nealy?”

“I help.” 

“Aw.” Snow let slip out, Emma’s certain tone and look was adorable on a toddler so young, especially with Emma’s now red little face and blankie clutched in her hand. “Okay Emmy, you help, I’ll see you in a minute.”

Soon Snow was dressed in a classic red dress. As Emma drank her sippy cup, and ‘supervised’ Neal and David setting the table, Ruby and Tyler returned with the drinks which they put in fridge to chill, before Ruby went to change into a shirt the same shade as Snow’s dress and black leather pants.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Soon enough the doorbell rang, Emma was still being clingy but with a little more energy than she had before thanks to the medicine working its magic. Snow shot up to answer the door, Tyler quickly followed her with Neal trailing behind trying to look unbothered. Emma’s head shot up towards the doorway as she heard voices, she pointed towards the doorway and the source of the noise as she, David, and Ruby stayed on the couch. “Daddy? Doooor.” 

Ruby and David laughed as she dragged out the word as the boys usually did when they were trying to get other people to answer the door. “I know, Koala, mommy’s got it.”

Emma nodded her head before looking at Ruby. “Mama, mommy’s door.” 

Ruby smiled at her daughter’s need to inform her that Snow had gotten the door, she thought it was sweet Emma’s insistence to make sure no one was left out, of activities or knowledge. She was also pretty sure Emma had forgotten who was coming around. “Maybe it’s a tiger coming to dinner.” She teased.

“No mama.” Emma giggled, her nose wrinkled up as she did so, suddenly her eyes widened and her laughing smile changed to her surprised but bright one. “Grandma! Grandpa!” She shouted happily, she scrambled to stand up on David’s lap.

“Careful, sweetheart, we don't want you to fall off your daddy’s lap.” She scooped her and shot David a glare as she cuddled Emma close to her chest. 

“It’s _lovely_ to see you too Regina.” David rolled his eyes.

Ruby sniggered and moved out of the room to go say hi to Henry before Emma saw him, Emma hadn't seen Henry in a while and they weren't sure if she’d be unsure of him or immediately become attached to him.

Robin bit his lip trying not to laugh, he had been married to Regina for thirteen years, and with her for four years before that, yet he still thought that the twos digs at each other were hilarious, especially as they had proved time and time again that they would go out of their way for each other.   
“Hey Dave.” He grinned as David clasped his hand and shook it.

“Hey Robin.” He watched as his kinda-step-father-in-law’s eyes flicked to the doorway leading to the kitchen. “Don't worry, Rubes got us some beer.” He chuckled as Robin looked relieved.

“Hey there, dinosaur.” Robin took Emma from Regina and grinned down at her. “Have you seen my granddaughter? Her name is Emma, she has wild lion hair, and she gives the best cuddles.”  
It was a little weird being a grandfather to Snow’s kids, especially as Neal and Tyler were around the age of his own kids, but he loved them all, they were his family. 

Emma pulled down the hood so he could clearly see her face and hair. “Boo!”

Regina took in Emma’s little red, hot, cheeks as Robin pretended to be surprised. “Is she ill?” She asked David, her voice and look was sharp with concern for her granddaughter. 

David shook his head, that was one similarity they shared, their protectiveness over the kids. “Nah, she had some vaccinations, she seems to get the side effects worse than the boys ever did.”

Emma was twisting back towards David to go into his arms when she caught sight of someone coming into the room, it was only then that remembered who she had been told was coming to visit. “Uncle Henry!” Emma shouted, as always her ‘r’s came out sounding like ‘w’s, she started wiggling in Robin’s arms as she tried to get to Henry.

Henry beamed, he had feared that she wouldn't have remembered him from last Easter, she was only very young after all. He strode over and took her from his step father’s arms, as soon as she was in his arms she cuddled close and he rocked her a little as he held her. 

“Emmy, David, this is Ella.” He introduced his girlfriend to the last two Charmings, as he had to the rest of them in the hallway, with great pride in his voice and love in his eyes.  

“Nice to meet you, finally, Henry won't stop going on about you.” David smiled as he tried to tease Henry.

Ella looked proud. “It’s nice to meet you too, you have a lovely home.”

“Auntie Ella?” Emma asked confused.

Henry and Ella shared an alarmed look and both scrambled for an answer, though luckily for them, neither David nor Robin noticed their worry but Regina did, though she was kind enough not to question them just yet. 

David just smiled and shook his head kindly at his daughter. “No, Emmy, that’s mommy, mama, and daddy’s friend, Uncle Henry’s girlfriend’s called Ella too. Two Ellas.”

“Two auntie Ellas?” 

David just chuckled and shrugged “Eh, close enough.” 

“Hello Emma, it’s very nice to meet you, your uncle Henry’s been telling me all about you.”

“I’m not Emmy.” Emma told her seriously as the rest of the family rejoined them in the lounge. “I’m a dinosaur.”

Emma smiled as her whole family laughed at her seriousness, though she didn't take on that that was the reason for their laughter, she just like having them all around. “Grandma!”

“Yes dear?”

“You have dinosaur friends.”

“Do I now?” She smiled back at the toddler, not noticing David suddenly grimacing and sliding down in his chair to try and hide behind Snow. 

“Yup!” Emma popped the p of the word as she decided to squeeze to sit between Ella and Henry. “Daddy told me.” 

“Oh did he now?” Regina glared at David as everyone else, particularly Robin, started to laugh. 

“I, er,” He rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to explain, “we, were, er playing around?” 

Regina rolled her eyes, she tapped Robin’s chest with a playful glare to stop him from laughing quite so hard, though it didn't have much effect. The family all eventually settled into comfortable conversations before they moved through to the kitchen to settle down to eat.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Towards the end of the appetisers Emma started to become a little whiny again, and they knew that if she was simply left in her highchair she’d only become worse. 

“Do you want to sit with me, Em?” Henry offered with a kind smile, he had missed his little niece.

“Nooooo.” Emma whined making Henry’s face fall, “Daddy.” She whined looking at David, with a pout, who was already getting up to take her.

“I wouldn't worry about it Henry,” Ruby grinned, “she’s always choosing David over me and Snow, too.” 

David smiled proudly down at his daughter as he sat back down in his chair and passed her her sippy cup. “My girlie.” He kissed the top of her head before resuming his own meal.   
“You can sit on my lap to eat, Emmy.” He assured her as the empty plates were cleared away by Ruby, Snow, and Neal. 

Ruby went to pick up one of the dishes to take over to the table when Snow shot her a look telling her to sit back down. She could tell she was a little worried again, Ruby didn't blame her there seemed to be a lot of secretive glances between Henry and Ella, more so than usual lovey-dovey ones. There was something going on, they had been through enough to be slightly frazzled around these sorts of things, even if the chances of Ella being against their relationship dwindled the longer they spent in her otherwise pleasant company.   
  
“Here, Snow, let me help.”

“Nope,” She shook her head at her step brother, “you’re the guest, sit down.”

“And you cooked all this,” Henry argued, “it’s the least I can do.”

Snow stared him out as Robin stood up and walked over. 

Henry tipped his head back dramatically before he sat back in his place with a sigh. 

“And that’s where Neal gets it from.” Ruby murmured quietly to David.

“Thanks, Robin, I can take it from here.” Snow said.

Robin levelled her with a look, he may only be a decade older than Snow, but over the years he had become a slightly paternal figure in Snow’s life. “It’s okay, I can help, from the look you gave Ruby I’m pretty sure that you’re not going to let her help.” 

“You’re a guest too.” Snow argued but Robin just gave her another look. She rolled her eyes dramatically as Robin picked up a couple of the platters. 

“And there’s Ty.” David murmured back to Ruby, who snorted some of her wine out of her nose, the picture of sophistication.

Regina rolled her eyes at her son-and-daughter-in-law, but there was a hint of a smile, ‘ _Idiots’_  she thought fondly. She too could see the characteristics of her son and daughter in her grandsons.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

At the end of dessert, Henry tapped his clean spoon on his wine glass to get everyones attention, he got it, he also gave his niece inspiration as she tried to reach David’s glass. “Sorry.” He smiled sheepishly as David quickly moved it and quickly distracted her with more chocolate dessert.

Everyone looked at him with curiosity, even Neal and Tyler seemed to take a particular interest in what Henry’s next words would be, he sent a warm smile to Snow. “Thank you so much for the meal, well meals...”  
He smirked good-naturedly knowing that they had only eaten a small percentage of all of the different dishes, but he understood Snow well enough to know why, family was important to her beyond anything else and she just wanted it to be perfect, and it was.   
  
“It’s been amazing being able to visit.” Ella added with a smile. “Thank you so much.”

Henry nodded, and gave her a knowing smile, as though they were waiting for something which they knew was inevitable.

“But we’re not just here to see you all. We have some news we’d like to share... a week ago I asked Ella to marry me.” 

“And I said yes.”

“Damn.” Neal said before anyone else spoke.

“Told you, now pay up.” Tyler grinned holding his hand out to receive the $10 from Neal’s wallet. 

“You bet I’d be engaged?” Henry asked amused.

“It was either that or you would have gotten hitched in Vegas.” Neal shrugged handing the money over. 

“I tried to tell him that grandma would have killed you if she hadn't gotten an invite.” Tyler said proudly.

“Too right I would.” Regina said completely seriously, making everyone laugh, there were tears in her eyes, she had adopted Henry when he was a couple of months old but now he was most certainly a grown man. She pulled Ella into a hug as Snow hugged Henry. “Congratulations.” She told her genuinely. 

Snow released Henry and hugged Ella. “Welcome to the crazy family.” She joked as the room filled with excited talk and everyone saying congratulations, or in Emma’s case _trying to._

 _“’_ Lation, ‘lation, ‘lation!” Emma copied as Henry cuddled her tight and the toddler let Ella do the same to her, she had no idea what was going on, but whatever it was it got her excited.

“This calls for a celebration!” David decided. He walked to the fridge and pulled out two bottle of champagne. 

“You just happened to have two bottle of champagne in your fridge?” Regina rose her eyebrow at him.

“What can I say, we’re just _that_  classy.” He didn't mention that it was an accidental purchase when he was meant to be buying wine the other day, while trying to shop with Emma babbling a mile a minute and being clingy, Regina didn't need to know _everything_.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

After they finished off desert, and the bottles of champagne, they moved back to the lounge. Neal and Tyler set up the games console and started to try teach Robin how to play the game, with a little teasing from Henry. 

Ruby, Snow, and David revealed the spring break trip plans to the kids, the boys were over the moon and Emma was just happy to join in with the excited cheering, Regina and Robin quickly talked it over with the trio and the plans were amended so they would all be going over together, 

Regina and Snow talked to Ella about weddings, while Ruby and David were only really interested in learning about her in general (they were still avoiding talk of weddings after the hassle of the planning of their own nineteen years before). 

Ella was interested in learning all about how the various couples met. She shared details of her own relationship with her stepmother and stepsisters and how nice it was to see from Henry’s family that they’re not all like that (Regina and Snow shared a smile at that, a lot had changed since Snow was a teenager and the two couldn't be in the same house, to the extent Snow had spent a lot of nights at Ruby’s her ‘ _really_  good friend’). Ruby and David shared with her their own terrible relationships with parents or step-parents, and that David wasn't even sure where his twin brother was.

Regina remembered her own abusive relationship with her mother, Cora, and how she had vowed to be nothing like her. While Snow remembered the show her father made of his relationships in public, but the fact they were as fake as his ‘nice’ personality were. But neither woman spoke of those aloud.

Henry took time to catch up with his nephews and nieces, learning about the hassle of applying to colleges Neal had gone through, and how soccer was going for Tyler, and he read stories from the book he had written to Emma.

And Emma spent most of the time going between all of the members of her family, cuddling them, or telling them stories, or getting them to play with her toys with her. Ella took a shine to the toddler which made everyone even happier to know that Ella would be joining their family. Memories were shared, drinks drank, photographs shown and stories remembered. 

Ella found herself becoming more and more fond of the town, simply by spending time with that family and hearing their stories, she was beginning to wonder if Henry would ever want for them to move from Seattle to Storybrooke, she thought she’d be okay if he did.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“I think we’re going to have a visitor in our bed tonight.” Ruby said quietly, she passed Snow a wine glass full of sparkling flavoured water, with her own glass of wine in hand she wrapped herself around Snow, sitting sideways on the couch both facing David and sleeping Emma. The two boys had gone to bed but the adults had yet to take Emma up, they knew she’d wake soon, and want feeding as she always did.

“Don’t we always?” Snow stroked some of Emma’s hair from her face, she leant back against her wife in her embrace, as Ruby passed their husband a cold bottle of Coca-cola (he wasn't one to drink too much, he knew its effects). She had a point, Emma usually slept in their bed with them either half way through the night or from the get-go.   
“It seems like only yesterday we used to spend most nights being kicked by Neal and Tyler in bed.”

“And now we have to kick them out of their beds if we want them up before midday.” Ruby said fondly. 

“Y’know Henry and Regina have always had a close relationship,” David mused hopefully, “maybe Regina will lay off me a little bit in favour of focusing on Ella...”

Ruby and Snow burst out into laughter, just about quiet enough not to wake Emma, but for long enough it gave David the answer to his musings. 

“Sorry, dear, I think you’re the only in-law she’s going to be hating.”

“I knew she hated me.” David pouted, but Snow kissed the pout from his lips, he figured having a monster-in-law was a small price to pay for having her perfect step-daughter as one of his two amazing wives.

 


	4. Grandmother knows best

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma gets chicken pox, Red Snowing are determined that they could deal with it on there own... if only they could remember how they helped their sons when they were sick with it... It would probably be a lot easier if Snow would let her spouses simply ask for help from her step-mother, but Snow's determined to prove herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by jarvisismyco-pilott through Tumblr (loboselinaistrash)
> 
> 'Emma gets sick and everyone goes over the top trying to make her feel better? Possibly Regina comes to save the day with something really basic that works'

 

Emma had been a little off colour after she had woken up from her afternoon nap.

Normally she was a very energetic child, she would cuddle with David after her nap for a little while, but then would normally be on the go straight afterwards.

But this time she was still cuddling close to David on his lap. David rocked her a little as they sat on the couch. He looked down at her with a small sympathetic frown. “Emmy, are you okay buddy? Are you still feeling sleepy?”

Emma shrugged her shoulders and cuddled closer to him. “Sleepy daddy.” She admitted, she yawned as though her body was trying to prove it, and rubbed her eyes with her fist which was holding onto her blanket, while the other was busy cuddling her teddy.

David continued to frown as he looked down at Emma. “Are you feeling poorly?” He brushed his hand against her forehead and frowned feeling the heat coming from it. “Do you have any owies?” He asked her kindly, hoping that she’d actually tell him, she tended to not tell them when she was feeling ill until she got really ill, she was only 2 so they dreaded to think how bad she’d be when she was older and probably even more stubborn.

Emma leant her head against his hand. “Owie.” She whined touching her head and then curling closer to him as the rest of her body ached at the same time.

David cuddled her closer to him and rocked her gently, truth be told, he was very surprised that she had admitted so much. He brushed his fingers through her curled hair and stood up with her still in his arms. “I’m sorry, baby, that’s no good.”   
He started to walk through to the kitchen, her head was hidden against his shoulder as she held tightly to her blanket and teddy bear, his hand was on the back of her head as he walked.   
“We’ll just get some medicine into you, then we can watch a movie, or some Peppa Pig? Just me, you, and Bailey-dog.”

Emma shook her head while keeping her face hidden against David’s shirt, she made a whinging noise which made it clear that she wasn’t impressed with being ill at all, and would probably soon be crying. “No, daddy, yucky.”

David sighed, grabbing the medicine from the medicine cupboard in the kitchen, he knew that it was going to be nigh impossible to get medicine or food into her at the moment... at least not without her realising. He grabbed one of her bottles, usually reserved for night time or when she was ill, whenever Snow wasn’t around,  then one of the bottles of chocolate PediaSure from the fridge.   
“Okay, Koala, we’ll get you some choccy milk and you and me can cuddle up.” He was relieved when she kept her head firmly planted against his shoulder, he poured the right measurement of medicine into the bottle, then added the chocolate milk mixture and shook it up. “Mmm, I think we need some cookies to go with this.”

He told her grabbing a couple, Emma wouldn’t eat properly until she was feeling a little better and although the PediaSure would be good for her, he wanted to try get her to eat something.

He settled back down onto the couch in the living room and flicked the screen onto the kid’s channel, which was currently trying to torture parents by putting a marathon of Peppa Pig on for several hours, he normally tried to avoid putting it on and would instead try to distract her with toys or different movies or tv shows but right now he was trying anything which would make her feel even a little better.

“Daddy?” Emma asked she asked as David moved her to cradle her in his arms.

David had already planned on feeding her, he normally would anyway, so he just smiled down at her and nodded his head. “Sure, baby, you wanna try to eat some cookie first?”

Emma managed to nibble the side of the cookie, she didn’t have more than a mouthful, before letting it drop onto David’s arm.

David sighed gently, she clearly wasn’t hungry, which was very unlike his daughter; she may be tiny but she could hold her own eating. “No more?” He asked as she watched the cartoon, it was clearly a no, so he just started to feed her the milk instead.

It only took a short while for Emma to fall back asleep. David pressed a kiss onto her hot little forehead, luckily she had finished her bottle of formula and medicine before she had dropped off. David sat rocking her a little to help her fall into a deeper sleep. She was holding tightly to her baby blanket, but she was shivering still, so he grabbed the throw from the back of the couch and swaddled her in it.

He checked the time on his cell phone, realising that the boys would be getting back home within the next couple of hours from soccer and swimming clubs (after they finished at school) before either Snow or Ruby would be back, so he texted them telling them not to come thundering in as Emma was sick and asleep. He immediately received two responses on the little group chat between the three of them, he should probably have chastised them for both texting  while in their classes but he couldn’t bring himself to do so, instead he quickly assured them that they didn’t need to rush home, they could just arrived home at their usual time.

Next he scrolled through his phone until he reached the number for Granny’s diner, knowing that Ruby would most likely have her phone on silent no matter if she was working on the books of the place or was waitressing, the landline was a sure fire way of being able to talk to her.   
He smiled as he heard Granny’s automatic greeting for the diner, he said hello back and politely asked to speak to Ruby, feeling relieved when he was passed over straight away instead of stuck talking to his wife’s grandmother, perhaps his worry over Emma was showing in his voice.

“Hey babe, what’s up?” Ruby greeted breezily.                          

“Hey Rubes, you wanna bring take out home? From Granny’s or Chinese from Top Wok? I could ring it in and you could pick it up.”

Ruby laughed a little, David was usually the one to cook when both she and Snow were working late, she figured that her husband was just being lazy. ”Let me guess, you and Em are too absolved in watching Peppa Pig to pick something out?”

David frowned, and looked over at the screen which he hadn’t realised was still playing the cartoon, he groaned as he flicked it over to an episode of Cake Boss, knowing that it was appropriate should Emma wake up. “Nah, she’s zonked out.”

“Still?” Ruby frowned and her head shot over to look at the clock thinking it must be earlier than it was if Emma was still asleep.

“She’s not feeling too good.” David explained, he could practically see her in the diner twirling the cord around her finger and frowning at the clock. “She’s got a fever, she says that her head hurts, and pretty much everything else – oh, and she’s not eating, I just about managed to get a bottle of PediaSure and medicine into her before she fell back asleep.”

Ruby’s heart broke for her youngest baby. “Do you want me to come home early?”

David looked down at Emma cuddled in his arms before he gently shook his head. “Nah, we’re okay here, she’s just sleepy and cuddly, I’ll probably be able to change her diaper and into a onesie without her even waking, there’s no need for you to rush.”

Ruby sighed, she debated insisting on going on but one of the waitresses had called in sick and the next shift wouldn’t be starting until she was leaving anyway. Plus she was now tasked with not only picking up her wife from work, on the way home, but picking up dinner… still, Chinese take out did sound good… “Do you want me to text Snow and let her know?” She grimaced at the thought. “Would she worry more if she knew, before she left work, or would she kill us for not telling her?”

On the other side of town David grimaced in sync. “She’ll probably be both, but she has a couple of meetings with parents, right?” He heard her agreeing that she had. “Then, I’d rather wait ‘til you pick her up, at least then she gets a little warning but she doesn’t sit there worrying as she’s tryna sit through the meetings.”

Ruby hummed in agreement. “If I’m having to tell her, you can order me some duck spring rolls.”

David smiled, he’d order some fried wontons for his other wife too, he knew she wouldn’t be best pleased, but if there was a way he thought that Snow or Ruby could help their daughter any more than he already was doing, then they’d already be there.  “Sounds like a fair deal to me, I’ll call it in for you to pick up on your way home, the boys should be back the same time as you.”

“Okay, hun.” Ruby stared at the clock, already counting down the hours, even more so than usual. “Ring me if you need me home early, or anything else, promise?”

“Cross my heart.”

 

* * *

 

Over the next few days Emma continued to act as she had been, mostly she seemed sleepy and would spend her time cuddling up to her parents, refusing to be out of their arms for longer than ten seconds. Although she was usual close to her brothers she would only talk or even pay any attention to them, if she was already sat with one of her parents.

Ruby was sat with Emma cuddled but asleep on her, her head was resting on her chest, and Ruby was gently stroking her hair. She checked down to make sure that she really was asleep a couple of times before she waved over at Neal, who was sat reading with headphones in, to get his attention.

“What’s wrong mama?” He asked placing his book down on the arm of the chair making sure that he wasn’t about to lose his place.

“I just need to go to the toilet can you sit with Emma cuddled up on you?” As soon as the words were out of her mouth Neal was already nodding his head. “I’m scared that if I put her down on the couch she’d going to wake up.” She stood up with Emma still cuddled close and walked over to Neal as he sat waiting for Emma to be placed into his arms. She did so slowly so Emma wasn’t about to wake up.

Emma stirred a little but settled as Neal pulled her blanket closer around her.

Ruby pressed a soft kiss to the top of her blonde curls. She stood up a little more and brushed her hand through Neal’s hair.

“Mama.” Neal half scoffed half whined, quietly so that he wouldn’t wake Emma.

Ruby rolled her eyes, he was at that age where he was concerned about his hair being perfectly styled, god forbid someone messed it up. “When you were Emmy’s age, you were only calmed to sleep if I stroked your hair, you were always wanting one of us to play with it – well, mainly me, but that’s ‘cause I’m the best.”

“Yeah, but now I’m eighteen _years_ old, not eighteen months.” Neal smirked, his hand automatically went through his hair, but he remembered being six and worried about starting in 1 st grade and his mama running her hand through his hair when his three parents dropped him off at the school together before all going to work, it had calmed him then and it still did now… when he let her do so.

“You’ll always be my baby, your mom and dad feel the same,” she watched him look as though he was about to make a protest but she just smiled and started to move out of the room before calling back over her shoulder, “you don’t get a choice in it.”

Neal shook his head as his mother walked from the room, but he couldn’t shake the smile from his face, sure his parents were embarrassing but he could never doubt how much they loved him, his siblings, and each other.

He looked down at his little sister with love, like the rest of his family he hated the fact Emma was feeling so ill, especially as nothing he could do – Emma barely cared to have her favourite books read to her which their parents always assured him wasn’t his fault, it still hurt, he and Emma were usually rather close, it sucked not to be. He brushed his hand over her brow as she slept, it was warm but not so hot that it signified that it was time to try and coerce her into taking more medicine.

He thought nothing of it when he noticed a spot on her face, but frowned when he saw another couple on her forehead, he was trying to see if Emma had just scratched herself when he heard his mom, dad, and brother all entering the house, his mother and father headed toward the kitchen while his brother skidded into the living room.

Tyler wasn’t surprised that his brother was in practically the same position in one of the arm chairs in the living room than when they had left him, Ruby, and Emma to go get some groceries. He had been about to throw the packet of skittles David and Snow had picked up for Neal at his brother’s face, his usual delivery method, when he noticed that he had Emma in his arms. So, instead, the teen walked over and nicely handed the pack to him. He sat on the arm of the armchair near their sister’s head and joined in looking down at her.   
“She’s gonna be okay, right?” His blue eyes flickered to his brother’s ones. He and his brother had the usual brother relationship where they were able to piss each other off to no end, but only because they were close and loved each other, and Tyler still looked to his brother as the smartest person he knew.

Neal’s eyes met Tyler’s, he could tell how worried the middle Charming was over the youngest, Tyler wore his heart on his sleeve, he was so very like their mom. Neal sent him the charming smile they had all inherited from their father. “Of course, you know she always gets ill ‘cause her immune system sucks, anyway if something was really up mom, mama, and dad would be more worried.”

Tyler let out a somewhat shaky breath as he nodded his head, he knew he was being silly, but he had to make sure or he’d drive himself mad.

Neal’s eyes returned to Emma’s red marked face. “Hey, Ty?” He waited to hear his brother’s verbal acknowledgement before carrying on speaking. “Do these look like spots or scratches?”

Tyler peered closely at them. “Erm, spots?... Shit, there’s more on her scalp.”

Neal didn’t bother to say anything about Tyler’s choice in words, the boys were careful not to swear in front of their parents or little sister, but they didn’t bother to refrain themselves around each other. Instead he simply looked closely at her scalp and frowned, it wasn’t hard to see the bright red spots through Emma’s almost white hair, but only if one was looking.

Neal and Tyler were still staring at Emma’s head with worry as all three of their parents’ voices drew closer.

Ruby, David, and Snow all looked puzzled but amused as they came across their sons looking as though their baby’s head was the magna carta.

“What’s so interesting guys?” David asked quietly, chuckling a little as the boys jumped and looked up, he looked over at Emma too unsure as to what they were looking at from his place on the other side of the room.

“Em’s got some spots on her face, and on her head, I think she’s getting more and more…”

Ruby, Snow, and David’s amused looks disappeared at Neal’s words and they stepped closer to their three kids. Snow carefully slipped Emma from Neal’s arms and sat on the couch, Ruby and David sat on either side of her as she cradled Emma.

Ruby was sat near her head and staring intently at the spots on her head. “Theses weren’t there before, or at least I didn’t see them, how didn’t I see them?”

“They probably subtly appeared.” David soothed. They all had a shared inkling about what the spots and illness was, he was starting to wonder if the spots had been there while he was watching Emma, could they have figured out that Emma had these before? “Does she have them anywhere else?”

Snow gently lifted up Emma’s pyjama top but they couldn’t lift up her bodysuit vest, it made Emma stir and start to wake up, Snow tried to rock her back to sleep but Emma’s eyes popped open. “Sorry baby, we didn’t mean to wake you up, did you have a good sleepies?” She smiled as Emma twisted in her arms so that she could cuddle close to her and moved her head close to her sleepily. “I’m sorry we woke you up, can mommy, mama, and daddy just quickly check something?”

“Why?” Emma asked rubbing her eyes.

“It’s okay, sweets, nothing you need to worry about.” Snow soothed knowing that Emma wasn’t really aware of what was going on. She just carefully manoeuvred the toddler as Ruby and David worked together to get Emma’s pyjamas and vest off. They all gasped as they saw that Emma’s body was covered in red spots.

“What the-?“ Tyler managed to cut himself off quickly.

“Is that chicken pox?” Neal asked at the same time.

“Yeah.” Snow was the first one to recover from the shock, as Emma started to tug at her top clearly wanting to be fed, she covered Emma in a blanket to keep her warm as she fed her. “It’s okay, baby, you’re okay.” She shared a look with her husband and wife as Emma latched on and started to drink.

The parents tried not to give away the worry in their faces.

Neal caught on. “You guys know how to cure this… right?”

Ruby spluttered as though she was offended by the insinuation. “Of… course… Of course we know how to help chicken pox!” She leant back beside Snow and wrapped her arm around her as she stroked Emma’s curls.

“Yeah, of course we do!” David agreed acting just as insulted as much Ruby, he tried to go through his mind to remember how they dealt with it with the boys, as he thought he filled in the silence. “Neal caught it when he was five, then of course he past it onto you Tyler, we dealt with a five year old and a three year old with it while all three of us worked. And you’re _both_ still around.”

“Exactly.” Snow agreed but she was trying to remember the logistics of the illness and how to help just as hard as her spouses. “Anyway, it’s probably not going to get much worse than it is now, neither of yours did.”

 

* * *

 

Emma, it turned out, did not have a mild case of chicken pox like her brothers had had, in fact she seemed to have the opposite, she had spots growing on spots on spots – understandably she was miserable.

David was mostly sat up, he had several pillows behind him and blankets wrapped around him, he had Emma cuddled on his chest, she couldn’t sleep unless someone was sat up with her, she screamed blue murder and David had had to go with her on a drive until she fell back asleep. Snow was leaning against him while Ruby had her head in her lap, Snow’s hand weaving through her long dark hair as she held an iPad above her head.

“Okay, apparently this might work-“

“According to whom?” Snow interrupted.

“…’Mumsnet’…”

Snow laughed quietly at Ruby’s admittance. “Didn’t you used to call them, and I quote, ‘stuck up bitches whose kids are going to turn to drugs to escape their interfering mothers and absent fathers?’”

“Yeah?” David smirked. “Wasn’t this before you said that you were never, ever, going on it again because they insulted a post you put on there, mentioning us being a throuple?” He saw her glare up at him and he widened his eyes to show he meant no harm by his reminder. “Not that we blame you, babe, they were idiots and you were right, as always.”

 They knew of course that that was an unfair judgement of all of the mothers on the site, and Ruby didn’t really mean what she had said (if only for their kids’ sake rather than the mothers), but Ruby had been rightly hurt, they had too, but Ruby had received it first hand.

Snow leant down and pressed a gently kiss to her lips as an apology, Ruby clearly accepted as she responded, Snow pulled back and cuddled back up to David and resumed stroking Ruby’s hair. “So, any suggestions?” She sighed glancing at Emma. “I will literally take any at all.”

­­“Yeah this one has a list: ‘Homemade soup. Lettuce leaves down her nappy, this site’s British so I assume they mean diaper... A lot of medicine.… And eye of newt and toe of frog…?”

“That’s from Macbeth.” Snow snatched the iPad from her wife’s hands. “Did you notice all the question marks after this? Or that it’s the first one? …Or the sarcasm? You’ve _got_ to know that this isn’t being serious Rubes.”

Ruby turned red and mumbled. “Well… I… In my defence the girl I had tutoring me in lit class was really attractive…we kind of didn’t get past the ‘Macbeth was written by Shakespeare’ before we started to get distracted.” She said fluttering her eyelashes up at her wife and husband.  “… We only got more distracted when this really hot guy moved to our school...”

“As sweet, and _memorable_ , as that is…” She leaned down and pressed a kiss to her wife’s lips as David laughed in the way they had learned to do so not to wake Emma. “…You’re _so_ just trying to distract us from the fact that you were _this_ close to trying to use amphibian body parts to help our twenty-one month old baby.”

“You _did_ say you’d take any suggestions.” David pointed out in defence of their wife.

“I’m not stretching to witchcraft just yet.”

“So… we’re not thinking about calling your stepmom just yet?”

She playfully hit his chest. “I dare you to say that to Regina’s face.”

“I’m not _that_ brave.”

Ruby giggled looking back up at her husband. “Our Prince Charming.”

David rolled his eyes at the joke about his last name, one that had often been made often, both in good and bad ways. “You seriously think that we could get Emma to have lettuce in her diaper? She refuses to eat anything green unless it’s candy or a popsicle… Do we just like empty one of your salads into it?”

“D’you think it’d be better for her with other veggies?”

“Dressing or no dressing?”

“Didn’t we do like an oat bath or something for the boys when they were kids?” Snow tried to move the conversation back on track from her spouses joking, she knew that Emma would probably wake soon, she was hoping to make it at least a little better as soon as possible.

“What like a tub full of porridge?”

“We could try convince her to eat breakfast in there too, two birds one stone.” Ruby shrugged.

Snow laughed before she frowned as she tried to remember. “I… don’t think so? I mean… that doesn’t sound quite right… does it?”

David smiled at down at her. “You’re adorable when you frown.” He pulled her into a kiss.

“’Am not.” She pouted.

“The cutest.” Ruby agreed with a teasing smile.

Snow couldn’t hide her smile at the pair so tried to shrug it off with a roll of her eyes. “We should get sleep before our little Koala wakes needing me, she’ll probably crying, poor love.” She looked sympathetically over at her daughter.  
Emma was usually quiet but since getting ill she’d woken crying, Snow had started to quickly give Emma medicine before feeding her. She had tried to do so without her waking her spouses up too, but Ruby and David wouldn’t hear it, they didn’t expect or want Snow to have to deal with it on her own - they dealt with Emma being sick the same way that they did everything, together.

“You sure you don’t wanna ask your mom for help?” David asked quietly as the bedside lamp was turned off but before any of them had dropped off.

“No.” Snow said resolutely.

David pressed a kiss to the top of Snow’s head. “Sweetheart, this isn’t the same as when Ty or Nee were babies, it’s not like we’re barely adults who have no idea how to do this parenting thing, with Regina judging our ability to make sure that they don’t end up in care or messed up beyond belief... And our relationship with Regina is different, Robin and Marian really mellowed her out along with the kids, and she doesn’t hate me...” He could feel the amused look his wives were given him even in the dark. “… Okay, maybe she doesn’t hate me _quite_ so much as she used to.”

“You did steal her step daughter’s _‘virtue’_.” Ruby tried to sound serious but didn’t succeed very well especially when Snow playfully shoved her.  

“Just… Just how much virtue did Snow have _left_ to lose?” He let out a heavy breath of laughter when Snow playfully hit his chest.

“That’s a fair point.” Ruby felt Snow kick her under the covers. “I’m just saying…. We live in Maine… there’s a lot of Snow which needs to be ploughed.”

“We’re moving.”

“Uh huh.”

“Somewhere hot.”

“Where it never snows.”

“Night night Snowy.”

“Night Frosty.”

“I hate you both….” She said though it was clear that she meant the opposite.

“Sure.”

“Understandable.”

There were a few minutes of silence, if Snow didn’t know her spouses so well, she would have assumed that they were asleep. “If Emma’s still sick in a few days we can call Regina… I just don’t want to feel like, like, I need her for every little thing… I’m thirty eight and I feel as though I need her a crap ton more than I did when I was eighteen.” She sighed knowing what they were all thinking.

“Things are a lot different than they were when you were eighteen.” Ruby nuzzled against Snow’s shoulder lovingly. "You haven’t only just realised what your dad was like, and Regina isn’t taking it out on you or making a tense atmosphere.”

“It’s okay to need her, I know she’s not your birth mom, but she’s been your mom for years - she loves you, she’s not trying to outsmart you or outdo you.” David agreed. “She likes you going to her for advice, and as much as I hate it she _does_ give good advice, but we’ll only let her know if and when you’re ready.”

“Just… Just… give me a couple of days? If we haven’t found a natural or medicine remedy… or divine intervention… then we can ask her.” She felt her heart swell at understanding both of her spouses had for her, she also knew that they would all put Emma first, she’d put her pride aside if need be.

“As much time as you need.” David kissed the top of her head before kissing Emma’s head too.

“We won’t mention a word to Regina.” Ruby kissed her cheek. “Or Marian, or Robin… who’d ever have thought that we have this many in-laws.” She joked.

* * *

 

They all had different ways of trying to distract Emma from being sick and to stop her from scratching.

Mostly David, Snow, and Ruby would just cuddle up with Emma – they would watch cartoons, movies, sing lullabies, or read her stories. They kept coercing her into eating, and filling her with medicine and kept trying to find things which would help, it wasn’t working but it had only been a day and a half so Snow was still waiting for a miracle.

 “Are you guys _sure_ that you can watch her for a couple of hours?” Ruby stressed twiddling with her keys in her hand as she looked down at the three kids sat on the couch, Emma was sat between the two boys eating dry cheerios from a little bowl. “Your mom won’t be back from that meeting ‘til lunch but your dad should be back from getting groceries and a couple of other things in just under two hours.” She checked her watch and realised that it would probably be the same time. “Or I can just call Granny and tell her that she has to call around a few more people or I’ll just hold off going until your dad or mom get back.“

“Mama-“ Neal tried.

“Or I could call your Grandpa, Nana, and Grandma? I mean they don’t know that Emma’s ill, because your mom hasn’t told Regina, so of course we couldn’t mention it to Robin and Marian or they’ll have to tell her-“

“Mama-” Tyler tried this time but Ruby just kept going.

“But I can call them! They have like a million kids, well five, but still, they have enough to be able to look after a baby with chicken pox for a couple of hours…. your mom will get over Regina knowing… after some convincing… and grovelling….”

Neal and Tyler shared a look. “Mama!” They said at the same time finally gaining Ruby’s attention.

“We totally have this mama.”

“Yeah,” Neal agreed trying to show how sensible he was through his voice, “we’ve babysat Emmy loads, haven’t we Koala?”

Emma looked up at Neal then Ruby, she tilted her head to the side, she tried to scratch her face but it was near impossible to do so in the mittens she had on, as were most things. ”You goin’?”

Ruby bit her lip. “Yeah, pup, or I can stay here with you if you like?”

“Or you can stay with me and Ty Ty?” Neal said excitedly trying to convince Emma.

“Yeah, we can have lots of fun and do all different things? We’re much more fun than mama.” Tyler encouraged, shooting a charming smile over to his mama, though she didn’t seem to notice his joking insult.

Emma lifted her hand up towards Ruby and started to wave. “Bye bye mama.”

“Wow, that cuts.” Ruby said dramatically. “Okay… but only if you’re all sure… it’ll just be a couple of hours, just watch a movie, Em will probably drop off… just nothing inappropriate on in case she wakes up and decides to start swearing or something.”

“Yup.”

“And you have my number, and Granny’s, and your dad’s, and your mom’s, and the school’s in case your mom doesn’t pick up, and your Grandma’s – but only if it’s an emergency!”

“We know.”

“It might be best calling your Nana or Grandpa, oh the paediatrician’s number’s on the fridge, but if it’s a real emergency just call 911.”

“What’s 911?” Tyler joked knowing his mother was going overboard. “I know! Mama! I know what it’s for, just a joke, jeez.” He said quickly before Ruby could freak out or worry.

“Okay, okay, I get it – none of my kids want me.” She watched the boys roll their eyes at her and Emma continue to wave clearly not understanding why Ruby was still there when she had already said she was going out. “Okay, okay, I’m going… just watch a movie, you don’t have to do anything else… Thank you so much, both of you, for this favour.”

Eventually they managed to get Ruby out of the house, Tyler went back into the room where Emma was sat on Neal’s lap. The boys shared a look they hadn’t been planning on just sitting there quietly, they were going to cheer up their little sister. They quickly made a big fort and grabbed paints, toys, play dough, stories, toys and various other things. They were sure that it’d be fine, better than fine, it’d be great.

* * *

 

Marian had run into Ruby at Granny’s shortly before Ruby had managed to get off, Ruby had tried to keep mum about everything but Marian had seen Snow at the meeting at the school (which Snow was still stuck at) and seen how off and worried she seemed. Marian may not have seemed it, but she could be scary when she wanted to be, Ruby eventually spilled about how bad Emma’s chicken pox were and that they weren’t sure what to do. Marian, being one of Emma’s grandmothers and caring for all of the family, insisted on going to help – even promising to keep it quiet from Regina, even if she didn’t strictly approve of that, nor like lying to her wife.

Robin had run into a similar predicament when he had run into David at the store, he saw how worried his son in law was and noticed the groceries he had and put two and two together. Like Marian he insisted on going and helping, when he got into David’s car he realised that they weren’t sure how to help Emma judging by the fact David appeared to have bought the entire stock of every type of medicine from the pharmacy. Before David would drive anywhere he made Robin promise not to tell Regina.

Regina was on the other side of town, not amused, not in the slightest. She had tried calling and texting her step-daughter on several occasions over the past week, she was largely being ignored, with only enough (closed off) responses for her to know that Snow wasn’t dead and that the kids were ‘fine’. But Regina had been a mother for long enough, now, to know when something was up and that she was going to get nowhere simply hoping that she would suddenly be told everything. So she decided to drive over to the house

As luck would have it, all six of the adults arrived at the house at the same time, Snow saw her step-mother and turned as pale as her name suggested. Ruby, David, Marian, and Robin all looked sheepish, Regina could tell that something was being kept from her from their looks, but she was fairly certain it was something new to the pair of them as they were terrible liars and she would have been able to wheedle it out of them had they been alone.

They heard Emma’s crying through the closed doors and windows.

Snow had no choice but to let them all in.

 

* * *

 

The living room was in chaos, there were blankets, cushions, and toys everywhere. Furniture was everywhere out of place, the couch upturned, with Tyler standing on it looking worried. The dog ran to greet them with different colours of paint dried on his fur. And Neal stood holding Emma looking like he was about to have a breakdown, as Emma screamed in his arms with fat tears rolling down her splotchy cheeks, some of her spots were weeping, and Snow quickly dropped her bag and ran to take Emma into her arms.

“What on earth is going on here?” Regina raised her eyebrow as she asked them all, she didn’t need to be told by anyone that Emma had chicken pox, that much was obvious. Nor did she really have to be told that Tyler and Neal had volunteered to look after her, they were responsible and did so often enough. What she really meant was- why did she have to go around to their house after getting her texts and calls repeatedly ignored by David, Ruby, and Snow to find out that she was this sick?

Snow cuddled Emma to her chest rocking her as she calmed Emma, but she didn’t speak, neither did her spouses, they figured it was best to follow suit of their wife.

“We… We didn’t mean to make this mess, we were just trying to help Emmy.”

“We know Ty, it’s okay –“ David said. He spared a look at Snow who had her eyes firmly on Emma as she rocked her in her arms, she was clearly trying to ignore the fact that her stepmother or her step-step-parents were all there.

“-We were just trying to do something fun for Emma, and she hated having the gloves on and we tried to stop her from scratching but we didn’t want to hurt her or anything – and then she seemed to feel even sicker so we were trying to cheer her up with different toys and didn’t have time to clean up.”

“Neal.” Regina said firmly but kindly. “It’s okay. It’s _not_ your fault. Now, why don’t you boys go get changed, then you can help your parents and grandparents tidy up in here? “ It was clear that the question wasn’t a suggestion. “Your mom and I will bathe Emma. _Won’t we, Snow_?”  

“Re-“ She saw the look Regina was giving her, and sighed, she bit her lip still avoiding looking at her again. “Right.”

* * *

 

Snow took Emma upstairs to the big family bathroom as Regina headed around the house to grab different things.

“It’s okay, baby, you’re going to have a nice splashy bath. I’m sorry, Emmy, I’m sorry for leaving you.”

Regina entered the bathroom with a pair of tights Ruby had given her, filled with oats, and some bicarbonate of soda. She hung the tight from the tap as it ran and added the bicarb.

“These should help her feel less itchy. I’ve sent Robin to the store to pick up some other bits.” Her voice was quiet and cold. “Marian and Ruby are putting together some lunch while the rest of the boys tidy.”

The bath time was otherwise silent, with Regina and Snow only talking to Emma, not each other.

“Is it really that bad?” Regina asked eventually making Snow look at her. “Asking me to help with my grandkids? Or for advice? Am I really that bad a stepmother that you can’t even tell me that my _only_ granddaughter is sick or to ask me for a little bit of help?”

“I, I, I just…” She wasn’t sure how to word her thoughts especially when she heard that Regina sounded hurt. She sighed. “It’s just, you’ve raised five kids, _perfectly_. You always know _exactly_ what is up with them and how to help them – you’re the mom who knows every single way to get them well or feeling better… and _I can’t,_ I can’t even remember how we helped the boys. I rang the paediatrician and they said that she should be okay but if she gets worse to take her in, but I don’t know if she’s bad enough to, and I don’t want to be that neurotic mom. I’m nearly forty and I feel as though I have no idea how to help my baby, I feel like _I’m failing_ as a parent.”

Regina didn’t say anything for a couple of minutes. “Six.”

“What?”

“ _Six_ _kids_. I didn’t have you, but I’ve been your mom since you were ten, I will never replace Eva but you’re _still mine, too, I raised you_.” It wasn’t often that they just talked like that but it had to be said. “You were ten, and I was twenty, I was barely an adult… Then you got chicken pox and I had _absolutely_ no idea how to help you. I didn’t have a mother to turn to, I mean you’ve met her a couple of times I didn’t want her to be a major part in your life she’s not exactly a loving grandmother type, and your father was always away on ‘business’ so he wasn’t exactly a big help.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Regina insisted. “I just… I went to the library and researched as much as I could about different ways to help you, with the rest of the kids it was easier because I had Robin and Marian and they knew loads more ways that their parents had told them… I wish that I had known them when you were a kid, I wouldn’t have been so bitter, and they would have made good step… well, _step-step­_ parents for you… But there’s nothing that I can do to change that. Once you had Neal, and we became a family again, I promised myself that I’d be there for you, in the way that Cora never was for me. You’re an amazing mother, you’re not failing, and it’s not failing to ask for help when you need or want it. I’m here for you, so are Robin and Marian, all you need to do is ask.”

Snow bit her lip again with tears in her eyes as she looked down at Emma.

Emma chose that moment to look up at her mother and realise that something was up. “Grandma! Mommy’s sad!” She shouted alarmed.

“It’s okay sweetheart.” She wrapped an arm around Snow’s shoulders as she spoke. “Your mommy’s just a little tired, I don’t think she’s been getting enough sleep while you’ve been poorly, I think you and she are going to take a nap when you’re out of the bath and we’ve put some magic cream on you.”

“Mommy too?”

“You want mommy to put the cream on too?” Snow asked and received a nod from Emma who was looking very sleepy now, but for once wasn’t trying to scratch the spots. “Okay, Emmy, sure.”

“And I’ll be here when you wake up from your nap,” although she sounded as though she was talking to Emma her words were for both girls, “we’ll get your cousins around and we can all have a movie day together.”

Snow smiled, now that Regina had mentioned it, she had vague memories of watching movies with Regina while she was covered in white spots from calamine lotion…. They had come a long way from just the two of them in a big house alone, but the changes which had occurred had all been for the better, in the long run.

 

 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requests always accepted through reviews, Tumblr (loboselinaistrash) or twitter @loboselinaff

**Author's Note:**

> Prompts welcome here and on  
> Tumblr: loboselinaistrash (loboselinafanfiction)  
> or Twitter: loboselinaff 
> 
> Fanfiction account: loboselina


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